8 Tracks: To Base In Bass & Basically Bass With Alton Miller
Detroit never fails to surprise and inspire. The Motor City has been responsible for homing some of the most influential talent in electronic music, past and present. There are as many unsung heroes as there are icons, as much talent as there is poverty.
Perhaps one figure who hasn't received the acclaim he deserves is Alton Miller. Growing up in 1970's Detroit he was raised on funk and Motown before becoming friends with Derrick May and Chez Damier. Since the early nineties he has consistently released forward thinking music on some of the most inspired labels of a generation. From Planet E to Soul City and KMS he has amassed a back catalogue of staggering proportions.
The beginning of this year saw him release an EP on the widely admired Sound Signature label, which is run by Theo Parrish. Alton Miller again proved why he remains a shining light behind the scenes of one of Detroit's greatest gifts. He cites eight tracks below…
Buy the release HERE.
“Cause i was reaching out to understand the cosmic charm” is my favorite lyric of the song.
Mark King is a bass’ virtuoso, Mike Lindup a keyboards’ virtuoso… obviously makes a virtuoso band”.
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Level 42 - Starchild“Cause i was reaching out to understand the cosmic charm” is my favorite lyric of the song.
Mark King is a bass’ virtuoso, Mike Lindup a keyboards’ virtuoso… obviously makes a virtuoso band”. -
Parliament Funkadelic - Funkentelechy“I listen to this before I go into the studio, it’s the guru tune of bass. Funkadelic is a more than a sound, it’s a philosophy. As Bootsy Collins would say, “Funk is the absence of any and everything you can think of, but the very essence of all that is. And saying that, I’m saying funk is anything that we create in our minds that we want to do, what we want to be.”
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Okonkole Y Trompa“This track defies gravity and all musical genres. Jaco Pastorius is a bass god who had a major influence on music, introducing electric bass and making it an instrument worth a solo. He earned the respect of every bass player around the world.”
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The Clash - Magnificent Dance“You can feel the multitude of epic low end movement in this incredible track. The Clash and the whole punk movement was another way to hear amazing bass lines.”
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Grace Jones - Private Life“Uber super chic clean on your bean! Grace Jones is an icon of music, fashion, cinema, sexuality and many more. She is the chic itself.”
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Third World - Now That We've Found Love“Crowd rocker feel the whole damn world move… Third World is a Jamaican reggae band formed in 1973 which was massively influenced by soul, funk and disco sounds. The perfect mix of influences.”
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The Rolling Stones - Miss You“Run it, flip it, walk it. This song is so groovy. What can you say about The Rolling Stones that’s never been said before…”
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Talking Heads - Slippery People“Boom! Talking Heads is a band I always loved. They fully contributed to the burgeoning New Wave scene by bringing elements of many different genre, from punk to funk, to world music. Their artworks were always dope too, I have always been a big fan of their work!”
